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Genetic basis for male aggression and survivorship in wild house mice ( Mus domesticus )
Author(s) -
Lenington Sarah,
Drickamer Lee C.,
Robinson Ami Sessions,
Erhart Mark
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2337(1996)22:2<135::aid-ab6>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - house mice , aggression , biology , haplotype , survivorship curve , house mouse , genotype , zoology , demography , genetics , developmental psychology , gene , psychology , cancer , sociology
Work on the genetic region of the house mice known as the t‐complex has produced the hypothesis that mice heterozygous for t‐haplotypes (+/t) may have a selective advantage over wild‐type (+/+) males owing to the greater aggressiveness of +/t males. We tested this hypothesis by examining the behavior of +/+ and +/t mice placed in four large outdoor enclosures. We found that +/t males were dominant over +/+ males. Furthermore, in the outdoor enclosures +/t males had higher survivorship than +/+ males, both as adults and juveniles. However, males of the two genotypes did not differ in home range size. We suggest that t‐haplotypes may be, in part, maintained in mouse populations because of a selective advantage in heterozygous males. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.